It looks like a new "locally integrated menu" will make it into Unity, starting with version 5.6.0. There's basically no information about the new locally integrated menubar, except for two bug reports which link to some custom Unity, Compiz, Metacity and Light Themes branches so to see "LIM" in action, I've compiled all these branches and here's the result. The "locally integrated menubar" can be displayed on the panel (for maximized windows) as well as in the window decoration (unmaximized windows). But it's not displayed on both in the same time.

Before we get any kneejerk reactions, remember that this doesn't even officially exist yet other than some as yet unexplained development patches. Hold off on the pitchforks till something intelligible is said as to what the plans are.

Pitchforks? Heck, how about laurel wreaths? This idea -- returning to menubars that are coupled to the window -- is such a relief after struggling through the confusing paradigm of global menubars coupled with un-maximised windows. And I really like the fact that you still save space. One extra click, sure, but that's not a huge problem -- we're already discovering that it's not too painful in Chrome and Firefox (mind you, their menu structures are designed with that pattern in mind, and tend to be rather shallow as a consequence).

(mind you, their menu structures are designed with that pattern in mind, and tend to be rather shallow as a consequence).

That's a very significant "mind you".

It's one thing designing an application's UI in such a way that it doesn't need menus, or has very simple ones. It's very different to just automatically restructure the menus of applications not designed that way...